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Ask HN: What is owed to idea people?

3 points by serg_chernata ↗ HN
Is there a precedent for equity concerns in cases where an idea is shared in a social situation that may lead to an app or a startup?

What I mean exactly is if you have a conversation at a party with a friend or acquaintance about potential business idea or a venture. To complicate things, what if there's an initial spark of interest from the other party followed by complete radio silence.

10 comments

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andrewstuart
Buy them a beer. ALL the value is in making it happen and this is so incredibly hard to do and resource intensive and risky that someone flipping an idea at you is worth little more than thanks.
ratfacemcgee
tell them about an idea for beer, then ask them to build everything for them, for free, to create the beer. then tell them it was your idea, and they owe you half of all beer created.
bdcravens
IANAL, but there has to be the presumption of confidentiality, which is non-existent in a situation you described.
andrewchambers
Ideas are cheap, actually making something is hard.
danieltillett
I don’t disagree that making something is hard, but really good ideas are actually very rare and valuable. The problem is most people’s ideas are not very good and hence worthless.
sammyo
Sincere Thanks. If five years later you have a "unicorn" business perhaps a substantial monetary token of appreciation would be appropriate.